Winsor Violet (Dioxazine)

Until the availability of Dioxazine in the 1960’s, the only true purple pigments were extremely limited. Most purples or violets had to be mixed or were notorious for fading. Manganese Phosphate (W&N Permanent Mauve) and Cobalt Violet didn’t come to market until the mid-nineteenth century and were expensive. One of the most storied colours in history was Tyrian purple, a colour demanded by Roman Emperors and that was squeezed from a cyst on the body of a whelk (a kind of mollusc). 12,000 molluscs were required to extract about 1.5 grams of colourant, boosting the cost of the colour into the astronomical range. Dioxazine is an intense, high-tinting strength mid-spectrum purple, offering depth in mass-tone and excellent clarity in undertone. It is highly transparent and staining (in water colour) and offers excellent lightfastness.

Carbazole Dioxazine. PV23 A – Permanent Series 1 Transparent5 Staining